bamp

The best place to start would be to choose another major that isn't useless

File: 1374979874532.jpg-(7 KB, 183x275, images.jpg)

7 KB JPG

self bump


also what secondary language would be the most useful to know and profitable.

Suffice to say that they only teach you things 4-5 years out of date, what you do learn will be extremely generalized, and you'll have to re-learn everything once you actually get a job.

>>35583366
Like what

>>35583297 (OP)
In a similar situation, I'm 18 ofc, but I'm thinking STEM is the way to go.

Maybe in engineering? Not sure what kind I'd want to do, though.

You can start by going to some shitty community college and sucking shit on the general ed classes.

>>35583366
If you can't get a job it's because you're a mongoloid mouth-breathing buffoon, not because of any sort of education you got.

>>35583366
Do you guys seriously believe that over here too?

I thought I escaped this shit when I left /sci/.

CS is not useless. Crappy "CS" (really software engineering or IT) programs are.

Idfk OP, what do you want to do career-wise? Computer Science is pretty straightforward: linear algebra, calculus, mathematical proofs, data structures and algorithms. Most of this stuff you can find on open courseware-type sites.

Study C# and C++

>>35583366
how is computer science useless? would computer engineering be better?

>>35583386
will do over the summer my dad works at Baltimore City Community College as security so I will get discounted classes.
If I joint he military are there any tech related fields that would be of use. I know the army has an Internet Defense force. How hard is it to get in there

>>35583420
what is the difference between comp science and comp engineering

>>35583428
18 years old .... im a senior

>>35583297 (OP)
See what courses the colleges offer and how much it will cost.

>>35583428
>call other people underage
>underage

>>>>/b/

>>35583459
It depends on what school you go to honestly. At some programs the two are nearly interchangeable. Computer engineering, as the name implies, is based less on studying computability and more focused on circuit design, and systems concepts. It's computer-flavored electrical engineering. When you're applying to schools, look at the curriculum for each program and decide what sounds interesting to you. You can choose either and wind up doing the same job.

File: 1374980370591.jpg-(19 KB, 300x400, 7.jpg)

19 KB JPG

>>35583465
no u

>>>/hm/
>>>/lgbt/
>>>/out/
>>>/reddit/

>>35583459
>difference between cs and computer engineering

Computer science involves working with software. Computer engineering involves working with hardware. At a good CS program you'll learn stuff like how to code compilers and operating systems, be exposed to concepts like artificial intelligence, cryptography, and machine learning, and hopefully cover the basics of hardware, as well as the basics of data structures and the like. In a good comp engineering program, you'll learn how to design computers and work with them at a very low level, as well as hopefully learning the basics of programming. Both are useful, it just depends what you're looking for.

The difference is that, in a bad program, computer engineering tends to still be a bit useful while a bad CS program will pretty quickly deteriorate into courses like "ethics in the technology age" and "how to use Microsoft office" in which case you don't learn to code until 2nd year and don't learn data structures until your last year, and then graduate qualified to be an IT guy at worst or a code monkey at best.

>>35583428
High school seniors are 18 years of age on average, retard.

>>35583578
To be fair, not when it's the summer and high school hasn't even started yet. Most people turn 18 during their senior year.

>>35583601
Fair enough. Still doesn't give him the excuse to blatantly shitpost like that though.

>>35583565
There's no point in even discussing this if we are to include "bad programs."

File: 1374981041544.jpg-(7 KB, 220x200, le-white.jpg)

7 KB JPG

>>35583620
>shitpost
i seriously hope you don't think that.

Where can I read up online? Any specific sites? what sites do you favor?


What secondary language would be most useful to know? im a native English speaker . I figured Arabic would be useful. that area is rapidly developing and will soon need technology .

File: 1374981098992.jpg-(48 KB, 342x422, 1363890191915.jpg)

48 KB JPG

>>35583565

>not learning data structures until the last year
>How to use Microsoft Office

What the actual fuck?

Are there seriously CS degree programs this bad, or is this hyperbole?

I go to the University of Missouri: Rolla (well, now they call it Missouri S&T, but everyone still calls it UMR), and here Data Structures is the second thing CS majors take- it's second semester of year 1. They almost won't even accept transfer credits for it (or the course before it, which is basically C++ 101 and "How To Not Write Shit Code" rolled into one) because it's such an effective weedout class.

I just completed my 2nd year and have taken Introduction to Algorithms, studied relational databases, and had a class that was purely CS theory- no programming at all.

I was under the impression that our Comp Sci BS degree program was about average, and always dismissed people saying CS was a worthless degree as being high school dropouts who think knowing Python makes them wizards.

Are most programs really THAT bad?

>>35583710
If >>35583428 wouldn't be considered a shitpost I'd hate to see what you would consider one.

>>35583666
Eh, there are way too many bad programs in CS imo that it makes it worth bringing up. If you're curriculum doesn't include (or at least let you take) classes like compilers or operating systems, and it takes over a year or so to get to data structures, you're program isn't so hot. In this case, it's more of a software engineering program than a CS program anyways.

the00negative

>>35583746
But this extends to every college major. If you are talking explicitly about vocational training, don't make the mistake of conflating it with university education. They are not the same thing. How many highly regarded institutions offer "Software Engineering" majors? None. Why? Because it's a vocational program. If your bottom line is simply a career in programming, you really don't need a degree. Just start working.

File: 1374981510983.png-(31 KB, 480x512, 68398_272761316159964_202(...).png)

31 KB PNG

>>35583731
>I'd hate to see what you would consider one
I hold no bias or judgement. Nothing is "shitposting" to me. I see it as a user illustrating their artistry.

File: 1374981839305.jpg-(25 KB, 244x662, 535515_535356409819406_17(...).jpg)

25 KB JPG

>>35583459
>what is the difference between comp science and comp engineering

Computer engineering is closer to the hardware side of thing. You learn about how processor, architecture, circuit design, and programming. The programming is mainly low level, assembly, machine code, some C.

To be honest a CE degree will probably have higher job prospects. Most companies will accept as CE degree if they're advertising for a CS position. The opposite doesn't necessarily hold though..

I elected to go for computer science, it just intersted me more. I got a job as a ruby developer in the end. I had to move out of my home town, you just have to do what it takes to find one.

FACT: If you can't find a job with a CS degree you're just a lazy shit.

What are some thing's I need to know before going into networking and DBA? ( not op )

>>35583726
Maybe hyperbole for most cases, although I've seen them that bad. I was really involved with the programming courses at my high school, and I've stayed in touch with a lot of my classmates who went into CS. I did a ton of research into programs before applying, and ended up taking a data structures and a functional programming course first year, as well as some "math for CS" courses and a comp eng course, which I found okay.

But sometimes I see the courses my HS classmates are taking and cringe. Most often seems to be

>first year
-intro to CS (no actual content)
-python!

>second year
-OOP and Java or some shit
-MAYBE data structures

Then like software engineering, linux commands, and learning new programming languages for the next 2 years. a couple of projects and maybe a capstone.

>>35583960
I live in DC so im sure there will be lots of opportunities not so far away.

Judging by what you guys are saying I think I would like computer science more.

>>35583837
No, but what I'm saying is that there are certain universities (maybe not "highly regarded", but state technical schools and local colleges and the like), that have a CS program that is essentially a software engineering program. If all you're learning is how to write code in 100 languages and understand some basic data structures, that's not CS. Not at all.

>>35584035
Yeah - CS is (imo) a LOT more interesting. Just make sure you don't get fucked by a boring, useless program. Look up sample schedules, available courses, and graduation requirements before applying.

>>35583297 (OP)
Get good at math, look over basics of object oriented programming, studying basics of software development, learn to write papers and communicate well.

>>35583975
Anyone help me out here, kinda nervous bout school next year....

>>35584092
>communicate well
>major in CS
lulz

File: 1374982427739.jpg-(39 KB, 500x700, 1374971337128.jpg)

39 KB JPG

I'll be graduating soon from a CS program. I took a couple of systems courses. Honestly, circuit design and systems concepts are easily learned from books. The coursework for Algorithms, Data Structures, Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence has done much more for me in terms of actually enabling me to think about problems differently. There's a creative element involved, but engineering coursework is pedantic in nature. Waste of time and money IMO.

>>35584163
I dunno man, I took a class in like computer architecture and assembly programming. (with CS majors and comp eng majors). Shit was hard.

>>35584226
That's because they expect encyclopedic knowledge of the architecture and the behaviors of every instruction in the ISA. It's essential coursework, you need to understand how computers actually interpret instructions. You need to know how to optimize. But an entire program designed around these concepts does not leverage the university setting.

If you really wanted to go into computer science, you would already know how to program.

Why do people only ask this question in regards to CS? You never see anyone say "I'm going into accounting, what should I do to prepare myself?"

>>35584318
Seriously. If you can't properly nade and AWP you probably shouldn't even be talking about it.

>>35584318
because accounting is fairly straight forward. there are universal laws when it comes to the economy. its easily predictable and what not

compared to computer where there is a vast array of fields and choices.

>>35583385
Fuck stem that shit sucks. Also FUCK Project Lead The Way or PLTW for short

>>35584318
You answered your own question mate. If you want to go into CS, you should know how to program in some language. I agree. If you want to go into accounting, you don't really need to know anything.

Also, how often do you frequent accounting boards? Maybe they do ask.

>>35584318
>If you really wanted to go into medical school science, you would already know how to do pen heart surgery.

File: 1374983376619.gif-(2.82 MB, 300x150, toplel.gif)

2.82 MB GIF

>>35584374

>>35584427
More like "if you really want to go to school for mathematics, you should have already taken trigonometry".

Learning to code is not CS-it is just something that must be done in order to proceed to the actual content.